It's never too soon: books to use with the very young
Some points to remember
From Baby power: give your child real learning power by Barrie Wade and Maggie Moore.
Learning to read is much easier if your child
- Has had stories regularly read to them
- Had the chance to talk about stories, pictures and what happens
- Knows is able to retell familiar stories
- Knows some nursery rhymes
- Knows how a book works (e.g. how to turn the pages, or lift the flaps if it is a flap book)
- Knows that books are fun
Bonding with your child is helped by
- Physical contact (e.g. as you and your child sit comfortably together)
- Repeated patterns of action (e.g. as you turn pages and talk about familiar pictures)
- Repeated patterns of words (e.g. the familiar story sequence or rhyme)
- Comfort and relaxed pleasure (e.g. the soothing rhythm of song, the predictable pattern of rhyme)
Book sharing helps your child
- To feel how others feel
- To extend his/her world
- To widen his/her experience
- To develop understanding of others
- To deepen understanding of self
More booklists
- Picture book picks for a list of read aloud titles that have stood the test of time
- Reading together for a list of picture books to share with your 3-5 year-old